Paul McCartney introduced flames and pyrotechnics to his live shows many years ago to accompany his 1973 James Bond theme from the film “Live and Let Die”. The film “Live and Let Die” starred the late Sir Roger Moore.
The Beatles legend feared that the production might startle a “90-year-old woman in the front row” to the point of causing her death. However, he felt relieved when he observed how much she was “enjoying it.”
“It’s a big song for us,” he said during an appearance on his podcast, “A Life In Lyrics”. Up there, it can get a little hot, and we have pyrotechnics. We look at the folks in the front row and then, knowing that explosions are about to occur, “boom.” It’s fascinating to watch them interact as they exchange shocked looks.
When we first started doing it, there was a blast. When we first started, I noticed that there was an elderly woman in the front row who looked to be 90 years old. I think, “Oh sh*t, we’re going to kill her.” I want to cover your ears, love, but I can’t stop the song. And I turn away, then ‘boom’. When I turn to face her again, she is loving it.
The 81-year-old musician takes pride in the enduring legacy of his Bond theme and that he composed the song for the eighth 007 film, marking Roger’s first portrayal as the British spy.
Paul stated: “Writing a Bond song was always a secret goal of mine because, in some ways, I like to think of myself as a jobbing writer. I’m your guy if you need a song for the queen’s wedding.
For many people, that is comparable to the Bond song. It’s somewhat of an honour to have written a song for James Bond.
In this instance, our record guy, who was in charge of The Beatles’ Apple Records, knew someone who played a role in the Bond film series. He asked me, “You don’t have interest in doing a Bond film, do you”? One day as we were idly chatting. “Yes, I would definitely be interested,” I said, trying not to seem overly excited. “Yeah, I’ll definitely do it.”
